Honey Vs Sugar: A Comparison

Honey vs sugar: which is the best?

Is honey better than sugar, are there any health benefits of eating honey, and if so, should we try
and substitute honey for sugar?

Then again, if you’re on a diet, aren’t
there lots of calories in honey anyway and is there any real difference between sugar and honey?

I felt that the best way to tackle this topic was to do some
research on both sugar and honey nutritional values, then compile the results into nutritional tables (below), and only when armed with the facts can we really consider whether honey is healthier than sugar.

In order to add further perspective, I added in a further food: actually an apple!

Why an apple?

Well why not? It was whilst I was considering the vitamin that I became curious.

Before we compare them...a few quick notes...

I felt it was important to express the nutritional values in honey as a
‘Percentage of the ideal Daily Value’ (% DV) based on a typical
daily calorie intake of 2000. I think this is the best way to put honey
in perspective, so that we can really see where honey holds its value
in our diet.

However, this
is not the whole story where honey is concerned. For example, if you
want to know whether honey is better than sugar, there are broader
questions you could ask about the wider use of honey in matters relating to health.

For
one thing, honey contains specific anti-bacterial properties and has
been found to assist in controlling MRSA in hospitals, and this
information is not covered on this particular page, but you can read a
little more about this on my page Is Honey Good For You?. The anti-bacterial properties of honey may also be a reason why some people try honey for acne, and honey facial masks.

When you look at the values for honey, some of them are a tiny fraction
different from those found elsewhere on my site. This is because honey
is a natural product, and so there are slight variations, depending on,
for example, where the bees have been foraging, the variety of flowers
and blossoms they have been able to visit, and the different properties
of those blossoms. During my research, I have used several data
sources, and those
sources of information were obviously based on different batches of
honey. However, the differences are very minor overall.

As I write (today!), these books are available cheaply, and they are
the kinds of books you can pick up at any time. Balanced diet is key
in my view!

As I write (today!), these books are available cheaply, and they are the kinds of books you can pick up at any time. Balanced diet is key in my view.

Finally, please do see my message at the bottom about buying honey ethically, and why it's important!

So.....is honey better than sugar?....

Nutritional Comparison of Honey and Granulated Sugar

Calorie and Carbohydrate Comparison

From the tables, you can see that 100g of granulated white sugar contains more
calories versus 100g of honey. Remember that honey consists of about 17%
water (water having no calories), whereas granulated white table sugar contains no
water.

Honey
carbohydrate is also comprised almost entirely of sugars, but with 1 calorie provided by protein. However, the
types of sugars inside honey are entirely different from those found in granulated table sugar.

Granulated sugar consists of 100% sucrose.

Honey consists of
only about 1.5g of sucrose, and the rest is fructose and glucose.

This
is particularly relevant if you are an athlete or are engaging in sport,
due to the provision of both short and sustained energy provision. This is because Glucose is absorbed quickly by the body, giving the body an immediate boost of
energy.

Meanwhile, the Fructose is absorbed more slowly, providing energy over a longer period.

Therefore, because honey contains high levels of both glucose and
fructose, it may provide both an immediate and sustained energy boost
to those engaging in sports, in relatively small quantities.

You
can read a little more about this on my page ‘Calories in Honey’ –
there’s a link at the bottom of this page.

Honey vs sugar: tables comparing carbohydrate

If you are dieting and wish to substitute honey for sugar as part of a
calorie controlled diet, then honey may help to sustain your energy levels, and in theory, you won't need quite as much, because honey is sweeter –
but I don’t advise you to eat a lot of it! When you look at how many calories are in honey, the advantage over sugar is a modest one where dieters are concerned.

At the end of the day, honey still contains a lot of calories. Just because this website is about bees, I don't think it is a good thing to try and sell to readers ideas about honey and nutrition that could be misleading!

There’s more about the topic
of honey and weight loss if you follow the link
here,
but first, why not read on as there's some interesting background on this page.

However, it has to be said that the vitamin content in honey is not
massive – for example, as stated, the table shows that if you eat 100g of honey,
you’ll only get 1% of your daily recommended amount of vitamin C – and
you’ll get a lot of calories (over 300!).

On the other hand, I happened to look at the vitamin C content of an apple. If you eat 100g of raw, fresh, unpeeled apple, you’ll
get 8% of your daily requirement of vitamin C, and you’ll consume only
52 calories!

Of course, apples have other vitamins too, but if high
energy is a priority, or you are needing to put on weight, then honey is better for you.

……well, I said I wanted to put things in perspective! …… Now do read on!

Honey Vs Sugar For Protein and Amino Acids Content

Honey contains quality protein, albeit a very tiny amount, and 100g of honey gives you a score of
19.

The closer the score to 100, the better. In this respect, honey is
significantly better than sugar.
But what about that raw apple? Believe it or not, 100g of the humble
apple gets a score of 31!

Sugar on the otherhand, gets a miserable zero!

Honey vs sugar: tables comparing protein and amino acids

Honey Vs Sugar: Mineral Content Comparison

Sugar has very little mineral content.

100g of Honey is better, offering 1% of your daily calcium, potassium, zinc and selenium intake, 2% of your recommended daily iron value, and 4% for manganese. However, again these are small percentages of the daily recommended amount, and a lot of calories.

So yes, honey is healthier than white sugar in terms of minerals, but you will still need to find other sources of these minerals in additional
foods.

Honey vs sugar: tables comparing minerals

So, Honey vs Sugar - What’s the Conclusion? Is Honey Better For You Than Sugar?

It seems that honey is more nutritious than white granulated sugar. If you
are engaging in sports, then honey has benefits. (Don't forget
to see my link 'Calories in Honey' below).

However, if it's vitamins & minerals you're after, then you may be better off looking to fruits and vegetables, because honey is very
high in calories, and in order to get your daily requirement you'd have to eat a lot of it (and no doubt put on weight). Get
yourself a balanced diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables.

Should I Substitute Honey for Sugar?

It depends, but my views are as follows:

- If you are engaging in sports and need the energy, honey could be beneficial.

- If you’re on a diet, you could substitute honey for sugar. However, don’t eat lots of honey, because it is high in
calories - substitute honey for sugar only as part of your calorie
controlled diet - i.e. a teaspoon of honey instead of sugar. You may also be interested to read about the vinegar and honey diet! And this page comparing carbs and calories in honey vs sugar vs maple syrup and other sweeteners.

- Generally, I would say ‘everything in moderation’. If you are getting
your full vitamins and minerals from a good balanced diet, there is no
major need to use honey instead of sugar.

- Although sugar is made
from plants and therefore starts off as a natural product, it is then
refined and processed. However, there are organic, fairly traded
versions available. There are also alternatives to honey, such as maple syrup.

- Most commonly, I think people replace
sugar with honey in small quantities, not because of diet but because of taste.

Finally, all types of bees are having a hard time at the moment, from
honey bees to bumblebees and solitary bees. We all need to do our bit
to help them, and there are simple ways we can help. Read about these
10 simple ways to help the bees.
Or link from 'Honey versus Sugar' to this page, explaining about the broader and important
role of honey bees in conservation.
It's not just about pollination!

“We consider it as self evident that if the bees store honey for their own use, then honey is what they want and need. Sugar syrup is, at best, a poor substitute. Therefore, we strive to leave enough honey in the hive for the bees’ winter feed”.